Computer-Implemented System And Method For Directing Users To Available Parking Spaces

ABSTRACT

A computer-implemented system and method for directing motorists to available parking spaces. Availability of a plurality of parking spaces is determined. A street location of a dynamic parking sign comprising identifiers is determined. A direction of each of the available parking spaces from the street location is determined and the available parking spaces are grouped by direction. Parking factors are applied to the grouped available parking spaces and at least one of the groups of parking spaces that satisfy the parking factors is selected. The direction of the selected groups of parking spaces is displayed on a dynamic street sign.

FIELD

This application relates in general to motor vehicle parking and, inparticular, to a computer-implemented system and method for directingusers to available parking locations.

BACKGROUND

Public roads primarily facilitate traffic. Parking is offered as asecondary benefit incident to vehicle throughway. Local governmentstypically regulate parking on public roads, whether at curbside, inmunicipal lots, or on other public property, through a regulatory schemethat promotes public safety and provides revenue generation. The impactof regulated control over on-street parking affects all motorists, aswell as urban residents, local businesses, commercial drivers, and otherparties that use or rely upon on-street parking. Drivers who need topark their vehicle are directly impacted by regulated parking control.For example, looking for a parking space wastes time and fuel,contributes to traffic congestion, creates frustration and stress, andincreases pollution, while disregarding parking regulations can resultin parking tickets, fines, or towing. Despite these downsides, parkingregulation remains a practical necessity.

Commonly, public parking is controlled through parking regulations andprohibitions that permit parking on a first-come, first-served basis,with few exceptions, such as allowed by special permit. However,allowing users to locate on-street parking on a first-come, first-servedbasis can create congestion on the streets as drivers slow down to lookfor available parking, wait for parked cars to leave a parking spot, andstop to read parking restrictions posted on signs associated with someon-street parking spots. Further congestion is experienced as parkinggarages or parking lots become full and drivers are forced to look forempty on-street spaces or wait for an empty space in the lot or garage.Users can become frustrated looking for an available parking space andmay be discouraged from visiting areas in which parking is difficult tolocate.

There is a need for more efficiently directing users to availableon-street parking spots to reduce congestion on the streets and toimprove the experience of drivers wishing to park.

SUMMARY

A computer-implemented system and method for directing motorists toavailable parking spaces is provided. Availability of a plurality ofparking spaces is determined. A street location of a dynamic parkingsign comprising identifiers is determined. A direction of each of theavailable parking spaces from the street location is determined and theavailable parking spaces are grouped by direction. Parking factors areapplied to the grouped available parking spaces and at least one of thegroups of parking spaces that satisfy the parking factors is selected.The direction of the selected groups of parking spaces is displayed on adynamic street sign.

Still other embodiments of the present invention will become readilyapparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription, wherein is described embodiments of the invention by way ofillustrating the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention.As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and differentembodiments and its several details are capable of modifications invarious obvious respects, all without departing from the spirit and thescope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and detaileddescription are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not asrestrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a computer-implementedsystem for directing users to available on-street parking spaces, inaccordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing, by way of example, analternative computer-implemented system for directing users to availableon-street parking spaces.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing the components of thesystem of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing a method for directing users toavailable on-street parking spaces, in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing, by way of example, toolsfor determining parking occupancy.

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing, by way of example, anenvironment for determining parking occupancy via the tools of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram showing a routine for determining a number ofavailable parking spaces for use in the method of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing, by way of example, parking selectionfactors.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing, by way of example, parkingcharacteristics.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing, by way of example, a dynamic streetsign displaying direction of available parking spaces.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing, by way of example, a dynamic streetsign of FIG. 10 displaying parking availability and parkingcharacteristics, such as by color.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing, by way of example, the dynamicstreet sign of FIG. 10 displaying parking availability and parkingcharacteristics, such as by icon size.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing, by way of example, the dynamicstreet sign of FIG. 10 displaying parking availability and parkingcharacteristics, such as by number of icons.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing, by way of example, the dynamicstreet sign of FIG. 10 displaying parking availability and parkingcharacteristics, such as by flashing direction icons.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In areas that are overpopulated or that have minimal parking, locatingavailable parking, such as in a lot or garage, or on-street parking canbe difficult. Motorists, urban residents, commercial drivers,out-of-town visitors, and other parties that use or rely upon publicparking often drive around looking for available parking until a spaceis found or until that individual gives up. Drivers can become easilyfrustrated looking for an available parking space, while creatingcongestion and pollution by aimlessly driving around looking for anavailable parking space. If a driver becomes too frustrated, he may bediscouraged from later visiting areas where parking is difficult tolocate. Directing users to available parking spots can assist inalleviating congestion, pollution, and frustration.

Drivers can be directed to available parking spaces via a dynamic streetsign. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram 10 showing acomputer-implemented system 10 for directing users to availableon-street parking spaces 12, in accordance with one embodiment. Parkingspaces 12 are located along one or more streets 11. Additionally, theparking spaces can include parking in a pool, which includes a pluralityof parking spaces that can be physically adjacent to each other ordisbursed, parking in a parking lot, or parking in a parking garage. Theparking spaces within a pool, lot, or garage may be managed as a group,rather than individually for each space. For example, a pool may have 20spaces, 15 of which are occupied and 5 of which remain available. In apool, all of the spots are managed as if they are interchangeable and soa driver can choose any one of the available spots. Hereinafter, theterm “parking space” is intended to include individually-managed parkingspaces, and parking spaces that are part of a pool, lot, or garage,unless otherwise indicated.

A parking space is determined to be occupied, at a particular time, whena vehicle is located within the space or when a motorist or driverreserves one of the parking spaces in advance for the given time oron-site as a form of “instant” parking reservation, according to U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/624,876, filed on Sep. 21, 2012.Additionally, one or more of the parking spaces can include capabilitiesfor charging plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles and can be utilized bymotorists needing a charge. The charging capabilities can be providedfor dual use with parking, such as according to U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/624,883, filed on Sep. 21, 2012.

The parking spaces 12 are each monitored to determine availability on anongoing basis. Availability can be determined based solely on adetermination regarding whether each parking space is occupied or withconsideration to other factors, such as reservations and parkingregulations. Occupancy of an on-street parking space can be determinedvia inductive loop sensors, camera, data collected and transmitted fromparking meters regarding parking spaces that have been paid, as well asother sensors. Once occupancy is determined, parking availability can bedetermined by location. Availability of parking spaces 12 can be managedindividually or as a pool of two or more spaces 12. For example, amotorist checks-in to a parking pool of parking spaces and vehicleoccupancy sensors identify when the vehicle 15 leaves from the parkingspace 12 within the parking pool. In a further embodiment, a motoristchecks-in to a particular parking space 12 when parking and vehicleoccupancy sensors identify when the vehicle 15 leaves the parking space12. Determining occupancy and availability of on-street parking spaces12 is further discussed below with reference to FIGS. 5-7.

Drivers 15 can be directed to the available spaces, once determined, viaa dynamic street sign 14, 16. The sign can be displayed at anintersection of two or more streets 11, such as on a lamp post or pole13 that is affixed to a sidewalk at the intersection. The street signcan be positioned in a parallel orientation 14 parallel to the street inwhich the driver is located or in a perpendicular orientation 16,parallel to a street that intersects the street in which the driver islocated. In a third orientation, not shown, the street sign is alignedperpendicular to the street in which the driver is located, but the signis not parallel to a street that intersects the street on which thedriver is located at an angle different from 90 degrees. In oneembodiment, the street sign can include parking availability, such as byan arrow pointing in a direction of the available parking. In furtherembodiments, the sign can also include one or more of a street name, aswell as one or more of a block number, cross street name, cross streetblock number, a number of available on-street parking spaces, a lengthof time for which parking is allowed in the available parking spaces, anindication as to the distance from the sign to the available parkingspaces, and an indication as to a cost of the available parking spaces.The street signs can be powered via solar power or other power source,such as electrical power, and can be a light-emitting diode display. Thedynamic street signs are further discussed below with reference to FIGS.10-13.

Alternatively, the dynamic street signs can be displayed over thestreet. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing, by way of example,an alternative computer-implemented system 20 for directing users toavailable on-street parking spaces. Dynamic street signs 21 can bedisplayed over an intersection, such as on the same wiring that holdstraffic lights for the intersection. The signs can be powered via thewires for the traffic lights or via solar power, as well as other powersources. Other placements of the dynamic street signs are possible, suchas at a location along a street or prior to an intersection, rather thanat the intersection.

Each dynamic street sign can include a street identifier and on-streetparking availability, as well as one or more parking characteristics.Parking availability can be determined via a centrally-managed hub fromwhich a range of different types of components provide vehicle occupancyinputs and user outputs for displaying parking status. FIG. 3 is afunctional block diagram showing the components of the system of FIGS. 1and 2. Parking services 33 can identify whether motorists or vehiclesare arriving, occupying or departing a parking space, which enables theparking services 33 to account for changes in occupancy of that space.The parking services can also determine whether reservations arefulfilled, pending, or being scheduled for one or more parking spaces.

The parking services 33 are provided through centrally-operated parkingservers 32. The parking services 33 are server-based and implemented onthe parking servers 32, which may be provided through cloud-basedservices 31 or by dedicated servers (not shown). Similarly, storage ofparking and payment data may also be provided through cloud-basedstorage 34 or by dedicated storage (not shown). The parking servers 32can also communicate with governmental transportation departmentofficials or their equivalent for setting parking policies, enforcingparking regulations, prohibitions and, if applicable, local restrictionsand monitoring system performance. In addition, the parking servers 32may communicate with private and commercial drivers, city residents,merchants, parking enforcement officers, and other stakeholders for thevarious types of parking services provided.

The parking servers 32 maintain lists or databases of parking data,which may be changed by the parking services 33 as needed. At least aportion of the parking data can be obtained from an availability server,which stores the parking data in a database interconnected to theavailability server. The parking data can include information, such asoccupied parking spaces and unoccupied spaces. As described below withreference to FIGS. 5-7, availability can be determined solely byoccupancy or by a combination of occupancy and other factors. In afurther embodiment, the parking data can include a set of parkingregulations, parking space occupancy data indicating which parkingspaces are currently occupied by a vehicle, a list or database of theinterchangeable parking spaces each of the parking pools, and a set ofparking reservations for parking at future times.

Once obtained, the parking data 35 stored by the parking servers 32 canbe used to determine those available spaces to which directions will beprovided on the dynamic street sign 39. Once determined, the dynamicstreet signs can display the on-street parking space availability, aswell as other information helpful for drivers to locate the availablespaces, such as a direction and available time for those spaces.

In a further embodiment, users can communicate with and provide paymentto the parking services 33 through various types of devices, dependingupon the location of the user, the context of the communications and, ifapplicable, form of payment. To identify available parking spaces,request parking spaces, or interact with parking services 33, users canaccess the parking servers 32 through, for instance, a personal ortablet computer using a Web browser or similar application, a GPS devicewith a parking application, a parking application on a wireless mobiledevice, such as a smart phone or similar wireless-capable andWeb-enabled device, and a parking meter or appliance located at curbsideor near to the parking spaces, for instance, on a sidewalk. Payment incurrency can be collected at curbside by the parking meter or appliance,and payment, including pre-authorizations for parking, can be collectedat curbside or remotely by the parking services 33 using an electronicform of payment, such as a credit or debit card. Other types of fixed ormobile user communication devices are possible.

The parking data obtained by the parking services can be used todetermine available parking spaces for which direction may be displayedto a driver. FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing a method 50 for directingusers to available on-street parking spaces, in accordance with oneembodiment. Availability of a plurality of on-street parking spaces isdetermined (block 51). The availability can be determined based solelyon occupancy of a parking space or based on a combination of parkingspace occupancy and other availability factors, such as a parkingregulations and reservations. The one or more parking spaces can belocated in a common area, such as a street, neighborhoods, city, orcounty, as well as other locations. Determining occupancy andavailability is further discussed below with reference to FIGS. 5-7. Atleast one dynamic street sign is selected (block 52) from a plurality ofstreet signs in use within the area of the parking spaces. A location ofthe dynamic street sign is determined (block 53), characteristics aredetermined (block 54), and one or more of the available parking spacesare selected (block 55) for displaying on the selected dynamic streetsign (block 56). The available parking spaces can be selected based onfactors, including, for example, those parking spaces that are closestto the location of the dynamic street sign. Other factors are discussedbelow with reference to FIG. 8. Characteristics of the selectedavailable parking spaces are determined (block 54) and one or more ofthe characteristics can be displayed (block 56) with the selectedavailable parking spaces on the dynamic street sign. The dynamic streetsign allows a user to identify available parking spaces to which he candirectly drive without driving back and forth through the streets tolocate an available space.

In one example, an individual, Sean, is driving to downtown Seattle toattend a meeting that starts at 3:00 p.m. and will last about an hourlong. On-street parking can be difficult to locate downtown, but is muchcheaper than parking in a garage or lot. The meeting will take place at1^(st) Avenue and Main. As Sean drives along Main and approaches 3^(rd)Avenue and Main, he begins to look for on-street parking. A dynamicstreet sign is displayed in a perpendicular orientation in front ofSean, along 3rd Avenue such as in FIG. 1, at the intersection of 3^(rd)Avenue and Main. The sign indicates that there are available parkingspaces straight ahead towards 2nd Avenue, to the left, and to the right,along Main. At the intersection, Sean drives straight, along Main, untilhe reaches an available parking space on the block of Main near 2ndAvenue. Once Sean parks his car, the dynamic sign at 3^(rd) Avenue andMain, as well as at other locations that include the available parkingspace, are changed to show one less parking space. Alternatively, if,for example, the parking space occupied by Sean is the last in a parkingpool, the dynamic street sign may indicate that there is no longerparking available straight ahead, which includes parking spaces at oraround 2^(nd) Avenue and Main.

The available on-street parking can be determined based on an occupancyof one or more parking spaces. FIG. 5 is a functional block diagramshowing, by way of example, tools for determining parking occupancy.Occupancy of a particular on-street parking space can be determined viaone or more of inductive loop sensors 62, cameras 63, payment data 64,or magnetic sensors 65, as well as by other means for determiningparking. A parking space is occupied when a car is parked in the space,when the space has been reserved, or when the space has received paymentfor a particular time. The parking space is available when the space isunoccupied and if parking regulations allow for parking at the time inquestion. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing, by way ofexample, an environment for determining parking occupancy via the meansof FIG. 5. To determine occupancy, each parking space 71 can include aninductive loop sensor 72 with wire coils that can be embedded into thestreet of the parking space 71. Each inductive loop sensor 72 determinesoccupancy, such as by detecting whether a car is parked in thecorresponding parking space via inductance. Alternatively, cameras andmagnetic sensors 73, 76 can each be used to watch one or more parkingspaces and detect when each of the watched spaces is occupied by a car,truck, or other vehicle. The cameras and magnetic sensors 73, 76 can bepositioned on a lamp post 74, on individual parking meters 75, or bymulti-space parking meters to monitor one or more parking spaces.Combined use of the single and multi-parking meters can also be used tomonitor the parking spaces and determine occupancy. For example, themulti-space parking meter 77 can be used to manage a parking pool, whilethe single-space parking meter 75 is used to manage one of the parkingspaces in the pool during set days and times during which that parkingspace does not participate as part of the parking pool 12 and is insteadused as an individually reservable or managed parking space. Outside ofthe set days and times, the single-space parking meter 75 either mirrorsthe group parking operations and parking indicators of the multi-spaceparking meter 77, or is inactive.

Payment data (not shown) for the parking spaces can also be used todetermine occupancy. The payment data can be obtained from theindividual 75 or multi-use parking meters 77 to identify which or howmany parking spaces have been paid for in advance and in some cases, forhow long the parking spaces will be occupied. For instance, a firstparking meeting meter has received payment for two hours of parking,while a second parking meter has received no payment. Thus, the parkingspace associated with the second parking meter is determined to beavailable and can be displayed on the dynamic street sign.

In a further embodiment, occupancy factors can be applied to account foruncertainties, such as handicapped placards that allow for parkingwithout payment, broken payment sensors, noisy or malfunctioning orvandalized occupancy sensors, or metered spaces that are illegally orotherwise occupied without payment, such as by delivery vehicles, whichcan be managed via just-in-time loading zone parking, as described inU.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/624,873, filed on Sep. 21, 2012. Thefactors can be used to adjust the number of available parking spacesdetermined via the parking data by, for example, an average ratio ofunpaid occupied spaces to paid occupied spaces to provide a bestestimate of available parking spaces. Other examples for considering theoccupancy factors and uncertainties are possible. Logs of the parkingspaces and corresponding payment data can be maintained in real-time orpredetermined times, and stored. The payment data can be maintainedindividually by each parking meter or centrally, such as by themulti-space parking meter 77.

Availability of a parking space can be based solely on a determinationof occupancy or with consideration to other factors, such as anyunfulfilled pending parking reservations and any applicable parkingregulations, prohibitions and restrictions. FIG. 7 is a flow diagramshowing a routine 80 for determining a number of available parkingspaces for use in the method of FIG. 4. Availability can be determinedfor a set of one or more parking spaces in real-time, at predeterminedtimes, or as needed to reflect changes in the status of parking spaces.The parking spaces in the set can be located within a particulardistance from a dynamic street sign on which the availability isdisplayed. For instance, all available parking spaces or pools within athree block radius of the sign can be processed to determineavailability. Other factors are possible for determining those parkingspaces in the set, which will be processed for availability.

To determine the number of available parking spaces in the set, theparking services first retrieves the currently occupied parking spaces;parking regulations applicable to one or more parking spaces, which caninclude individual parking spaces, parking spaces within a desiredparking pool, lot or garage, or a combination of individual parkingspaces and group parking spaces; and parking reservations that overlapthe time in which the dynamic sign is to display availability (block81). Each of the parking spaces in the set are analyzed (block 82) todetermine availability of that space. Using the occupancy data, such asdescribed above with reference to FIG. 6, a determination (block 83) ismade as to whether the parking space is occupied. If the space isoccupied, the parking space is determined to be unavailable (block 87).However, if the space is not occupied, a determination is made as towhether any parking regulations prevent (block 84) a vehicle fromparking in that space. If so, the space is determined to be unavailable(block 87), but if not, a further determination is made as to whetherthere is a pending reservation (block 85) for the parking space. If areservation exists, the space is determined to be unavailable, while ifno reservation exists, the parking space is determined to be available(block 86). Processing continues with the next parking space in the set(block 88), after which the routine returns. Application of theoccupancy data, regulations, and reservations during the routine canoccur in the same or a different order than provided in FIG. 7.

In yet a further embodiment, the number of available parking spaces isdetermined based upon optimistic or pessimistic parking resourceutilization forecasts. For example, optimistic forecasts includepredicting that some vehicles will leave before the end of theirreserved parking period, which can be displayed as an available space onthe dynamic street sign. Optimistic forecasts also include predictingthat some motorists will not show up for their parking reservations andpotentially leave their parking reservations unused. Other optimisticforecasts are possible.

In a still further embodiment, “minimal spacing intervals” areintroduced before the parking space is determined to be available toavoid display of a space that is still occupied or otherwiseunavailable, such as due to parking regulations. The sizes of thevarious intervals are set as policy parameters by the parkingauthorities and would typically be in the range of five to fifteenminutes. Such interval can include a minimal gap of time after amotorist leaves a parking space before the space is made available anddisplayed on the dynamic street sign. Other intervals are possible.

The availability of a number of parking spaces, once determined, can beupdated by increasing the count of available spaces aspreviously-unavailable parking spaces become available. The parkingspaces may become available due to a vehicle leaving the space,expiration of the maximum parking time allowed, ending of a regulatedno-park time, and expiration of the fee paid for the space. Otherfactors are possible. Additionally, as previously-available parkingspaces in the group become unavailable, the available parking count canbe reduced. Display of the available parking spaces can be updated eachtime the parking spaces are updated, at predetermined times, or on an“as needed” basis.

The availability can be displayed on a dynamic street sign to directusers to the available parking spaces. Specifically, a location of thedynamic street sign is determined and one or more of the availableparking spaces is displayed based on parking factors. FIG. 8 is a blockdiagram 90 showing, by way of example, parking selection factors 91. Theparking selection factors 91 can include least costly available parkingspaces 92, closest available parking spaces 93, easiest to locateavailable parking spaces 94, parking spaces available for the longestamount of time 95, and pools with the most available parking spaces 96.Other parking selection factors are possible, such as those factors thatrepresent a motorist's best chance of finding a parking space. Further,more than one factor can be used to select the available parking spacesfor display. The least costly 92 available parking spaces can beselected based on a total cost or cost per hour, as well as other costdeterminations, which can be defined by maximum cost, minimum cost, oraverage cost. Those parking spaces that are least costly are selected.The number of selected parking spaces can be selected based on apredetermined number of spaces to display or a cost threshold, such asall spaces that are $3.00/hour or less.

The available parking spaces can also be selected for display based on adistance from the dynamic parking sign by selecting those availableparking spaces closest to or furthest from the sign. Distance can bemeasured by block, feet or miles, as well as other measures of distance.The closest available spaces 93 can be determined via a distancethreshold or an absolute number of parking spaces that are the closestor furthest. The easiest available parking spaces 94 can be determinedusing a location of the spaces. For instance, the available parkingspaces on a main street are likely easier to find than on a neighborhoodstreet or a less traveled street. Alternatively, the easiest availableparking spaces to locate may be closest to the dynamic street sign,whereas the further available parking spaces are more difficult tolocate. The parking spaces that are available for the longest amount oftime 95 can be determined based on a time threshold, a maximum amount oftime allowed, or an absolute number of spaces that have the longestavailable time. The amount of time can be measured based on a maximumamount of time, minimum amount of time, or an average amount of time ofthe available parking spaces. Also, available parking spaces can beselected based on location with reference to other available parkingspaces. For instance, predetermined areas having the most availableparking 96 can be selected and displayed.

Once selected for display, the available parking spaces can be updatedto ensure that the dynamic street sign provides accurate informationregarding available parking. As available parking spaces becomeunavailable, the number of available parking spaces displayed decreases,while the number of available parking spaces increases when previouslyunavailable parking spaces become available. Availability can bedisplayed on the dynamic street sign via an icon, a letter or words, anumber of available parking spaces, or a direction arrow. Further, allavailable parking spaces in a particular area can be displayed oralternatively, only the best available parking spaces may be displayed.The best parking spaces can be determined based on parkingcharacteristics, such as cost or distance.

Characteristics of the selected available parking spaces can bedisplayed to better assist drivers in locating available parking spacesthat satisfy their needs.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram 100 showing, by way of example, parkingcharacteristics. The parking characteristics 101 can include direction102, distance 103, available duration 104, and cost 105 of the availableparking spaces 102. The directions 102 can instruct a driver where to goto find available parking, such as to the right, straight, or left ofthe driver. In a further embodiment, the sign may indicate a directionbehind the driver, such as when no other parking is available in theforward directions.

The distance 103 of the available parking spaces includes a measure ofhow far the available parking spaces are from the dynamic street sign onwhich the parking spaces are displayed. The distance measure can includeblocks, feet, meters, or miles, as well as other distance measures.Alternatively, available parking spaces that are within a desireddistance can be displayed, for example, via a distance arrow, whereasthose available parking spaces outside the desired distance will not bedisplayed. The time for which parking spaces are available 104 can bemeasured for one or more spaces and can include an average of theavailable parking spaces, the maximum time available for the spaces, orthe minimum time available for the spaces. Other measurements of timeavailability can be determined. Cost of the available parking spaces canalso be displayed on the dynamic street sign and can be measured for oneor more spaces using the average cost, the maximum cost, or the minimumcost. As well, the cost can be based on a total cost, such as for aparticular amount of time, or per hour or other time measurement, suchas days or minutes. Available parking spaces with the best, or cheapest,cost can be displayed, for example, via a direction arrow, whereas thoseparking spaces that are more expensive may not be displayed.

One or more of the parking characteristics can be displayed on thedynamic street sign for assistance in directing the user to anappropriate available parking space. In one embodiment, a dynamic streetsign may only include an indication of parking availability, such as bydisplaying an arrow in a direction which a motorist can follow to findthe available parking. In a further embodiment, the dynamic street signcan include a street name, cross street, or block number, as well ascharacteristics of the available parking, such as distance or duration.FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing, by way of example, a dynamic streetsign 110 displaying direction of available parking spaces. The dynamicstreet sign can either be aligned perpendicular to the street that thedriver is on (when the driver is looking straight ahead and reading thesign), as shown in FIG. 2, or parallel to the street that the driver ison, as shown by the Main Street sign 14 in FIG. 1. In any orientation,the street sign can display location information, including one or moreof the name of the street 111 to which the sign is parallel, the name ofa cross street that intersects the street that the driver is on or thestreet to which the sign is parallel, a block number 112 of the streetto which the sign is parallel, a block number of a cross street, and anindication of the direction of the indicated block number (to the rightor left, for example).

Additionally, the dynamic street sign can display one or more of parkingavailability 114 via a letter “P” 116 or other icon, such as a car; adirection arrow 113; and a duration 115 of the available parking spacesto which the directions are provided. The letter “P” stands for parkingand the direction arrow directs the driver to the available parkingspaces. The direction of the arrow can point in a best direction to findparking, such as the parking that has the most available spaces, is theeasiest to find, or is the cheapest. Other factors for determining thebest direction are possible. If a direction arrow is used to indicateparking availability, the presence of the arrow can indicate parking,whereas an absence of the arrow can indicate no parking availability.However, in a further embodiment, when a dynamic street sign uses anavailability icon, available parking is determined to exist if theavailability icon is present on the dynamic street sign and the bestdirection to locate the parking can be provided via the direction arrow.However, if the icon is absent, no available parking exists.

When parking exists, further information can be provided via the dynamicstreet sign. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing, by way of example, adynamic street sign 110 displaying parking availability 114 and parkingcharacteristics, such as by color. The dynamic street sign can include astreet name 111 that identifies the street to which the sign isparallel, as well as a block number 112 of the named street 111. Theblock number is displayed on a right side of the sign in this embodimentto indicate that the identified block is along the street to the rightof the sign (from the perspective of a driver looking at the sign).Parking availability 114 can be displayed via one or more parkingcharacteristics, such as a direction of the available spaces, distance,available parking duration, number of available spaces, and cost.Further, parking availability can be determined qualitatively, such asan indication of whether a set of parking spaces is empty, full, orsomewhere in-between, or quantitatively by providing a percentage ornumber of available spaces. Other characteristics are available,including a number of available parking spaces.

Icons, such as an arrow 113 or other symbol, can be used to identify adirection 113 that a driver must follow to reach the available parkingspaces. An arrow can be provided for each direction in which availableparking spaces are located, such as straight, or to the left or right ofthe driver to guide the driver in reaching the available spaces. In afurther embodiment, a single arrow may be displayed indicating thedirection in which the driver has the best chance of finding a parkingspace, as described above with reference to FIG. 10, rather thandisplaying arrows for each direction that includes available parking. Adistance of the available parking spaces from the dynamic street signcan be displayed within the arrow or other direction symbol. Thedistance can be measured in blocks, feet, meters, or miles, as well asother measures of distance.

A distance of the available parking spaces can also be displayed basedon a color of the direction arrow, in addition to or in place of, thedistance measure located within the arrow. A first color can indicate ashort distance, while a second color can indicate a medium distance, anda third color can indicate a longer distance. The colors and distancescan vary based on the municipality in which the dynamic street signs aredisplayed. For example, an arrow 113 pointing in one direction, such asup, can be colored green to indicate that the single parking space islocated close by, such as one block. An up arrow can indicate parking infront of the motorist. A second arrow 120, such as pointing to theright, can be colored yellow to indicate the available parking spacesare considered to be a medium distance away, such as three or fourblocks. Other colors, distances, and measures of distance are possible.

The direction icons 113, 120, including arrow icons, can also display anumber of available parking spaces, in addition to or in place of thedistance measure, to indicate the number of available spots in aparticular direction. Further, a total number of parking spaces in oneor more of the directions can be displayed to provide the driver with afull view of the parking, including available and unavailable parking ina particular direction or area. A duration of time 115 that the parkingis available can also be displayed on the dynamic street sign 110. Theduration 115 can include an average time for the available parkingspaces in a particular direction, a maximum time for one or more of theavailable spaces, or a minimum time for one or more of the availablespaces.

The dynamic street sign 110 can also display cost of the availableparking spaces. The cost can be displayed via text or symbols. Forexample, the cost can be listed as a dollar or other currency amount,such as for a maximum time, minimum time, or average available time ofall the parking spaces in a common direction. If used, the symbols caninclude a dollar sign or image of a denomination of U.S. currency, suchas a dollar bill. An amount of the cost can be provided on the displayusing colors for the text or icons, which are representative of cost.For example, green can indicate less costly available parking, while redcan indicate expensive parking. Additionally, no cost or “free” parkingcan be displayed as an icon with an “x” over the icon. Other displaysfor free parking are possible.

Providing the parking availability via the characteristics can behelpful to guide a driver in locating a parking space in a timely mannerwithout obstructing traffic and causing frustration. For example, Elexahas an appointment at a salon on the 200 block of 3rd Avenue betweenMain Street and Central Street. The appointment will take about threehours. Elexa is driving along Main Street and approaches theintersection of 3rd Avenue and Main Street. The dynamic street sign ofFIG. 11 assists Elexa in locating available parking by providing parkingavailability. While driving down Main Street, Elexa sees the sign anddetermines that there are parking spaces to her left, about three blocksaway, with a 1 hour availability, parking spaces one block straightahead with two hours availability, and parking spaces two blocks to theright with one or more spaces having four hours of availability. CentralStreet is located one block to the west of Main Street, which is toElexa's left as she looks at the sign. Since Elexa's appointment willrun about three hours, Elexa decides to take a right and locate one ofthe available parking spaces along 3rd Avenue. The sign immediatelydirects her to the optimum spots given her needed time for parking.

A distance of the available parking spaces can also be displayed basedon a size of the icon or symbol that represents distance. FIG. 12 is ablock diagram showing, by way of example, the dynamic street sign ofFIG. 10 displaying parking availability and parking characteristics,such as by icon size 130. The dynamic street sign includes the street111 that is parallel to the face of the sign, the block number 112 ofthe street 111, and parking availability 114 via the parkingcharacteristics, such as direction 113, 130 and duration 115. Otherstreet information is possible, such as the name of the streetperpendicular to the sign (which in this example is the street on whichthe driver is located) or a block number of a street perpendicular tothe sign. Additionally, a distance of one or more available parkingspaces can be displayed based on a length of a direction icon 113, 130,such as an arrow. The longer the stem of the arrow, the further theavailable parking is located from the dynamic parking sign. Conversely,arrows with shorter stems indicate available parking that is moreclosely located to the dynamic parking sign.

Parking duration can be provided via icon size by increasing the size ofan icon representing parking duration, such as an image of a parkingmeter, to indicate a long duration of available parking or decreasingthe icon size to indicate a lesser duration of parking. A car icon or aletter “P” icons can represent available parking spaces and the size ofthe icon can represent an amount of the available spaces, such as alarge icon for lots of available spaces and a small icon for lessavailable parking. Cost information can also be provided based on iconsize. For example, a small image of a dollar bill can indicate cheapparking, while a large image of the dollar bill can indicate expensiveparking.

Information regarding the parking characteristics can also be providedusing a number of icons or icon segments displayed. FIG. 13 is a blockdiagram showing, by way of example, the dynamic street sign of FIG. 10displaying parking availability and parking characteristics, such as bynumber of icons. The dynamic street sign 110 can display street names111, block numbers 112, and parking characteristics, including adirection of available parking spaces 113, 140, a distance metric ornumber of available parking spaces within an icon displaying thedistance metric, or a duration of the available parking 115. Metrics forone or more of the parking characteristics can be provided via a numberof icons for that characteristic or based on a number of segments of asingle icon. For example, distance of one or more available spaces canbe provided on the display via a direction arrow. The stem of the arrowcan include one or more segments 132 to indicate a distance of theavailable parking spaces. In one embodiment, each segment can representa particular distance such as a block, meter, or mile. For example, adisplay of two segments can indicate that the available parking is twoblocks, meters, or miles away from the dynamic street sign 110.

Further, information about or metrics for the parking characteristicscan be provided via one or more icons. For example, an image of a singledollar bill can represent a cost of available parking and indicate lessexpensive parking, while an image of four dollar bills can indicate moreexpensive parking. A measure of distance can be represented by a numberof arrows; parking duration can be represented by a number of parkingmeters; and a number of parking spaces can be represented by aparticular number of vehicle icons. The metric for a particular parkingcharacteristic in relation to the number of icons can correspond on a1-to-1 basis or each icon can represent an increment of the particularparking characteristic, such as on a 10-to-1 basis.

Parking characteristics can also be displayed via a flashing of thedirection icon or other indication of parking availability. FIG. 14 is ablock diagram showing, by way of example, the dynamic street sign ofFIG. 10 displaying parking availability and parking characteristics,such as by flashing direction icons. As described in detail above withrespect to FIG. 10, a dynamic street sign 110 can display a street 111to which the sign is parallel, a block number 112 of the street 111, andparking availability, which is displayed via parking characteristics,such as a direction icon 113, 150, distance metric 114, and parkingduration 115. The direction icon 150 can include an arrow or other icon.The icons 150 can flash colors, or on and off to provide an indicationof the parking characteristics, including distance, recommendation forparking, or number of parking spaces available. Other parkingcharacteristics indicated by the flashing direction icon are possible.

To provide information regarding a distance of the available parkingspaces from the dynamic sign, the stem of the arrow icons can include aseries of flashing segments based on a number of blocks or otherdistance metric by which the available parking spaces are located fromthe dynamic street sign 110. The segments are described above withreference to FIG. 13. The flashing can occur sequentially, segment bysegment, or all segments can flash together. Additionally, the timing ofan icon flashing can also provide information regarding distance of theavailable parking spaces. For example, when parking is close to thedynamic street sign 110, the direction icon 113 may flash faster, andthe further away the parking availability is located, the slower thedirection icon 113 flashes. In one embodiment, if the direction arrowdoes not flash, parking is determined to be available on the next block.In a further embodiment, the flashing can indicate a number of availableparking spaces. In one example, no flashing can indicate no availablespaces, while a slow flashing speed can indicate a low number ofavailable spaces and fast flashing indicate a higher number of availablespaces. In a further example, no flashing can indicate that more thantwo parking spaces are available, while flashing indicates that two orless spaces are available. Other examples are possible.

In a further embodiment, parking spaces that also serve as EV chargingstations can be monitored and indicated on the dynamic street sign. Thedynamic street sign can display whether parking spaces with EV chargingstations are available, such as by displaying the letters “EV” adjacentto the direction arrow or by using an icon, such as a charging station.

In yet a further embodiment, display of the parking availability canoccur via an LED display that switches between showing multiple streamsof the parking characteristics. For example, a first display can showstreet names and parking direction, while a second display can show thestreet names and distance of the parking spaces, and a third display canshow the street names, cost, and parking duration. Other numbers ofdisplays and information provided on each display are possible.

In a still further embodiment, two or more signs can be used to direct adriver to available parking spaces. For instance, a driver sees adynamic sign that has an arrow pointing to the right indicating thatparking is available to the right. The driver takes a right and at thenext block, the driver encounters a further sign, which displays anarrow to the left, indicating available parking. The driver takes a leftand continues to follow the dynamic signs until he locates an availableparking space.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described asreferenced to the embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art willunderstand that the foregoing and other changes in form and detail maybe made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented system for directingmotorists to available parking spaces, comprising: an availabilitymodule to determine availability of a plurality of parking spaces; alocation identification module to identify a street location of adynamic parking sign comprising identifiers for at least one street; adirection determination module to determine a direction of each of theavailable parking spaces from the street location and to group theparking spaces by direction; a parking factor module to apply parkingfactors to the grouped available parking spaces and to select at leastone of the groups of parking spaces that satisfy the parking factors;and a display module to display on a dynamic parking sign, the directionof the selected groups of parking spaces.
 2. A system according to claim1, wherein the dynamic parking sign displays a duration that at leastone of the parking spaces in the selected group is available.
 3. Asystem according to claim 1, further comprising: a durationdetermination module to determine the duration based on one of a maximumamount of time available, a minimum amount of time available, and anaverage amount of time available for the available parking spaces.
 4. Asystem according to claim 3, wherein the duration is displayed as atleast one of a qualitative determination and a quantitativedetermination of an amount of available parking spaces for at least oneof the directions.
 5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the dynamicparking sign displays an indication of cost of the available parkingspaces.
 6. A system according to claim 5, further comprising: a costdetermination module to determine the cost based on one of a maximumcost, a minimum cost, and an average cost of the available parkingspaces.
 7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the dynamic streetsign displays at least two streams of parking information on the dynamicparking sign and each of the streams provides different informationregarding the available parking spaces.
 8. A system according to claim1, wherein the dynamic street sign displays a distance of the availableparking spaces from the dynamic street signs.
 9. A system according toclaim 8, further comprising: a distance determination module todetermine the distance based on one of a maximum distance, a minimumdistance, and an average distance of the available parking spaces.
 10. Asystem according to claim 1, wherein the available spaces comprise oneor more of on-street parking spaces, spaces in a parking lot, and spacesin a parking garage.
 11. A system according to claim 1, wherein theavailable parking spaces for which the direction is displayed areselected based on one of a cost, availability, and location of thecorresponding available parking spaces.
 12. A system according to claim1, wherein the dynamic parking sign displays an indication of whetherone or more of the displayed available parking spaces is an EV chargingstation.
 13. A computer-implemented method for directing motorists toavailable parking spaces, comprising: determining availability of aplurality of parking spaces; identifying a street location of a dynamicparking sign comprising identifiers for at least one street; determininga direction of each of the available parking spaces from the streetlocation and grouping the parking spaces by direction; applying parkingfactors to the grouped available parking spaces and selecting at leastone of the groups of parking spaces that satisfy the parking factors;displaying on a dynamic parking sign, the direction of the selectedgroups of parking spaces.
 14. A method according to claim 13, furthercomprising: displaying a duration that at least one of the parkingspaces in the selected group is available.
 15. A method according toclaim 13, further comprising: determining the duration based on one of amaximum amount of time available, a minimum amount of time available,and an average amount of time available for the available parkingspaces.
 16. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:displaying at least one of a qualitative determination and aquantitative determination of an amount of available parking spaces forat least one of the directions.
 17. A method according to claim 13,further comprising: displaying an indication of cost of the availableparking spaces.
 18. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:determining the cost based on one of a maximum cost, a minimum cost, andan average cost of the available parking spaces.
 19. A method accordingto claim 13, further comprising: displaying at least two streams ofparking information on the dynamic parking sign, wherein each of thestreams provides different information regarding the available parkingspaces.
 20. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:displaying a distance of the available parking spaces from the dynamicstreet signs.
 21. A method according to claim 20, further comprising:determining the distance based on one of a maximum distance, a minimumdistance, and an average distance of the available parking spaces.
 22. Amethod according to claim 13, wherein the available spaces comprise oneor more of on-street parking spaces, spaces in a parking lot, and spacesin a parking garage.
 23. A method according to claim 13, wherein theavailable parking spaces for which the direction is displayed areselected based on one of a cost, availability, and location of thecorresponding available parking spaces.
 24. A method according to claim13, further comprising: displaying an indication of whether one or moreof the displayed available parking spaces is an EV charging station.